Has anyone ever attempted to build a multi division model railroad?
Something on such a scale would probably be tried in a club format.
Just curious.
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
That would be big, very big.
.
Most modelers would just "uncompress" the division they are modeling if more space was available.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Don't know that I understand 'multi-division', but I do plan on running a number of different rr lines on my layout.
General concept & how I arrived at it I just like Model Trains,...of all sorts....the scale miniaturization. I'm particularly fond of steam engines, and particularly the large ones. I'm a fan of C&O, B&O, NW, etc, etc. And as a kid of course I had the ubiquitous Santa Fe diesel engine,...those famous worldwide recognizable colors. I had recently returned from Asia and was living in the Wash-Balt area when a company in Balt called Life Like made the bold move to really upgrade plastic trains to nice scale models. They introduced their Proto 2000 line. They introduced a whole line of detailed diesel locos, then they introduced that superb 2-8-8-2 steam engine.....WOW. They set a standard in plastic scale model trains that the others quickly followed. Bachmann, Athearn, etc all jumped on the band wagon to introduce their premium lines as well. Plastic detailing became an art that eventually was a rival to brass locos. I was collecting a little of everything. I would buy some stuff that eventually got superseded by even better stuff, so I would attend the Great Scale Train Show in Balt and sell off older stuff and try to upgrade to the better stuff coming out. I would visit John Glabbs little brass shop in Laural, Md, and droll over the brass locos which I considered beyond my reach, but then look what was coming out in plastic a few months later. By this time I had collected quite a few steam engines of various lines, and principle a number of diesels from Santa Fe. So when it came to planning my new layout, how could I choose just one time frame, or location, if I wanted to collect and run all of those type trains? I wanted to run steam and diesel, and I wanted to run east coast and west coast lines.....on one layout?? I've decided my trains are going to run from the east coast to the west coast,...Balt to Calif. I'll call it the Continental Connector. Balt will be on the lower deck and Calif will be on the upper deck. Since I am not a stickler on time frames I'll be able to run both modern and older style freight and passenger cars on my layout, and of course steam and diesels. I'm going to have lots of staging that will present any number of variations,...including a few European trains I've collected. Yes it won't be prototypical, but it will be fun. And I hope to get a considerable amount of industry in this space as well.
I just like Model Trains,...of all sorts....the scale miniaturization.
I'm particularly fond of steam engines, and particularly the large ones. I'm a fan of C&O, B&O, NW, etc, etc.
And as a kid of course I had the ubiquitous Santa Fe diesel engine,...those famous worldwide recognizable colors.
I had recently returned from Asia and was living in the Wash-Balt area when a company in Balt called Life Like made the bold move to really upgrade plastic trains to nice scale models. They introduced their Proto 2000 line. They introduced a whole line of detailed diesel locos, then they introduced that superb 2-8-8-2 steam engine.....WOW. They set a standard in plastic scale model trains that the others quickly followed. Bachmann, Athearn, etc all jumped on the band wagon to introduce their premium lines as well. Plastic detailing became an art that eventually was a rival to brass locos.
I was collecting a little of everything. I would buy some stuff that eventually got superseded by even better stuff, so I would attend the Great Scale Train Show in Balt and sell off older stuff and try to upgrade to the better stuff coming out. I would visit John Glabbs little brass shop in Laural, Md, and droll over the brass locos which I considered beyond my reach, but then look what was coming out in plastic a few months later.
By this time I had collected quite a few steam engines of various lines, and principle a number of diesels from Santa Fe.
So when it came to planning my new layout, how could I choose just one time frame, or location, if I wanted to collect and run all of those type trains? I wanted to run steam and diesel, and I wanted to run east coast and west coast lines.....on one layout??
I've decided my trains are going to run from the east coast to the west coast,...Balt to Calif. I'll call it the Continental Connector. Balt will be on the lower deck and Calif will be on the upper deck.
Since I am not a stickler on time frames I'll be able to run both modern and older style freight and passenger cars on my layout, and of course steam and diesels. I'm going to have lots of staging that will present any number of variations,...including a few European trains I've collected. Yes it won't be prototypical, but it will be fun. And I hope to get a considerable amount of industry in this space as well.
Brian
My Layout Plan
Interesting new Plan Consideration
How about a multi-country layout?
Miniatur Wunderland has a German, Austrian, Swiss, Scandinavian, Italian and American section, with the British Isles being planned right now, including the Euro Tunnel crossing the Dover Strait.
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
you might be interested in reading Frank Ellison's The Art of Model Railroading where he describes operation on his layout which has two divisions
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
It doesn;t require a hanger sized layout to do this. To include two FULL divisions would be out of hand - that means the layout would have 3 division points. But it is entirely feasible within a fairly reasonable basement size layoout to have the focal point be a single division point, which means the layout to either side from the division point yard to staging represents a different division. Just not ALL of those divisions (which is what staging is for). Such an arrangment is far from scarce in the model world.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
what defines a division?
while a division pt could sit in the middle of a layout, is there a benefit in having only one?
if there are multiple division pts either at the ends of the layout or spaced in the middle (1 complete and 2 partial divisions) do trains run from one division pt to the next, are broken down and cars either added to the train to the next division pt or are handled by way freights to their destinations?
with this in mind, is a car picked up from one location, moved to a division pt and possible dropped off to its final destination on the opposite side of the division on a second way freight?
is the benefit extra operation?
I think that's the most obvious benefit, more operation.
I may be wrong, but I have the feeling that thinking in divisions instead of stations, yards and industries served by rail is leading to wrong conclusions.
I think Bruce Chubb's enormous layouts had and have multiple divisions (or perhaps subdivisions), both the old one and the current one which features, I think, nine railroads. The track plan for the new layout is on this website's trackplan database.
mrr.trains.com/how-to/track-plan-database/2007/09/sunset-valley-oregon-system
Dave Nelson
NWP SWPHas anyone ever attempted to build a multi division model railroad?
The answer to this question, as orginally posed, is of course, yes. Anything you can think of is virtually assured to have beed tried/done by someone else already.
Why model more than one division... I have no idea why.
If you put a division end terminal/yard on both ends, and then going into staging, you kind of have three divisions being represented, but only one modeled. I think this is the way Tony Koester's current layout is arranged.
Adding a third division yard in the middle, effectively giving you four divisions and two of them are modelled, is just not necessary.
Adding more run length, passing sidings, interchanges, industrial areas, branch lines, etc... will all give you more additional operational fun than adding a third division point.
It seems a division is a unit of a railroad designated by that RR for management purposes.
Here is some info for the curious for one RR.
For Western Pacific:
https://www.wplives.com/operations/divisions.php
I think the D&RGW during it's latter years consolodated it's operating divisions into east (Colorado) and west (Utah) IIRC.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Nothing say's you need a division point at each end of the railroad. Hidden staging can represent hundreds of miles of a nonexistent extension. I intend to put the division point smack dab in the middle. why? becasue I don't want to build or maintain a complete railroad with catenary for my GG1s. Another example is Altoona Pa where 6-8 helpers are added to every train over horsesHoe curve. Or Milwaukee Road and Great Northern that had electric districts. Also Rahway New Jersey where the PRR catenary ended and diesels replaced GG1 engines. I agree operational interest is ADDED.
Here's the operations that can be added by a mid layout division point.
Trains have to be either broken up and made into new trains or they can be kept together but must get new motive power and if you have the manpower, a new crew, no train can simply run over the entire layout, if you have the space I think adding a division point is well worth it.
NWP SWPTrains have to be either broken up and made into new trains or they can be kept together but must get new motive power and if you have the manpower, a new crew, no train can simply run over the entire layout, if you have the space I think adding a division point is well worth it.
If you are modeling pre-WW2 or so. If you are modeling since the 1960's, not so much.
If you are modeling the last 30 years or so the motive power wouldn't necessarily change. Some trains run across divisions, regions and even multiple railroads without changing power.
The concept of the division point where everything switched, died out in the 1970's and 1980's. Computers made figuring out better, detailed blocks easier, so there were more run through trains that would cross multiple division boundaries without switching. It was not uncommon on western railroads to have a train cross 3 or 4 divisions before it was switched.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
ndbprrNothing say's you need a division point at each end of the railroad. Hidden staging can represent hundreds of miles of a nonexistent extension.
Absolutely! My next layout will represent only a single town along the mainline. The division points will be way off down the hidden staging tracks.
Tinplate Toddler How about a multi-country layout?
My layout represents the north end of D&H Champlain division and the south end of the Motreal Division, So I model both the US and Canada.
Harrison
Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.
Modeling the D&H in 1978.
Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"
My YouTube
Tinplate ToddlerHow about a multi-country layout?
Now that it has been mentioned, my N scale "Dream House" layout was international. In this incarnation the STRATTON & GILLETTE existed in a fictional land in the Northwest Pacific between Washington and British Columbia.
At the East end of the layout was a Division Yard that was connected to staging by a long bridge that crossed the inlet to the mainland of North America. I guess that made it international.
dehusman NWP SWP Trains have to be either broken up and made into new trains or they can be kept together but must get new motive power and if you have the manpower, a new crew, no train can simply run over the entire layout, if you have the space I think adding a division point is well worth it. If you are modeling pre-WW2 or so. If you are modeling since the 1960's, not so much. If you are modeling the last 30 years or so the motive power wouldn't necessarily change. Some trains run across divisions, regions and even multiple railroads without changing power. The concept of the division point where everything switched, died out in the 1970's and 1980's. Computers made figuring out better, detailed blocks easier, so there were more run through trains that would cross multiple division boundaries without switching. It was not uncommon on western railroads to have a train cross 3 or 4 divisions before it was switched.
NWP SWP Trains have to be either broken up and made into new trains or they can be kept together but must get new motive power and if you have the manpower, a new crew, no train can simply run over the entire layout, if you have the space I think adding a division point is well worth it.
Indeed the NS Pittsburgh Division is like half the state of Pennsylvania and have trains running "non stop" from Illinois to North Carolina on the division.